Webinar: The importance of genre in offering different reading experiences

Name: William Joseph
Price range: $

Guidance and tips

Join BookTrust in conversation with authors Sharna Jackson, Simon Mole, J.P. Rose, Rashmi Sirdeshpande and Ken Wilson-Max in this free webinar exploring the role of genre in children’s reading for pleasure. Suitable for primary teachers, TAs, Literacy Leads and Headteachers.

Two primary aged girls in school uniform sitting at a table and looking at books together

In this webinar you’ll:

Discover BookTrust’s research on how different genres can offer a variety of beneficial reading experiences for primary school children.
Hear from fantastic authors about why they love the genres they write in
Find out how BookTrust’s resources, like the Great Books Guide, can support teachers

Date: Thursday 1st October 2026
Timings: 4pm start (60 mins max)
Accessibility: A video recording will be available two days after the event
Suitable for: All primary school class teachers, TAs, Literacy Leads, Head Teachers

Meet the speakers

Sharna Jackson is the Artistic Director of Site Gallery, Sheffield and a board member of Sheffield Doc/Fest, Upswing Aerial Arts and New Writing North. She has previously worked as a creative producer with the Tate, BAFTA, The Design Museum, The Royal Collection Trust, Museum of Childhood, V&A, Science Museum, Penguin amongst others. An advocate for diverse representation across children’s media, she is a member of BAFTA’s Children’s and Learning and New Talent committees and the Children’s Media Conference advisory board. High Rise Mystery (Knights Of), was her debut novel, the first in a mould-breaking crime series.

Simon Mole is an acclaimed children’s poet. He has had six books published, including A First Book of Bugs, which was recently shortlisted for the CLiPPA Award.

Simon is a National Poetry Day Ambassador, with over fifteen years’ experience using rap and poetry in community and education settings, including projects with Great Ormond Street Hospital and Arsenal Football Club. The tutorial videos at Simon’s YouTube channel are used by hundreds of thousands of children and teachers across the world each year, and have been featured on BBC.

JP Rose is an award‑winning author of both adult and children’s fiction. Her work for young readers spans spooky mysteries, contemporary stories and rich historical adventures, all rooted in her belief in the magic of discovering where you truly belong.

Rashmi Sirdeshpande is an award-winning neurodivergent children’s author who loves taking big ideas and making them accessible and exciting for young readers. She writes a mix of picture books, poetry, fiction and illustrated non-fiction. A former official World Book Day author and BookTrust Writer-in-Residence, her books have been published around the world and featured in a number of national and international newspapers.

Born in Zimbabwe, Ken Wilson-Max lives in London. He has written and illustrated over 50 books for children. He also illustrates things for grown-ups and businesses and publishes work from other creators through Alanna Max.

As a younger man, Ken made stories from what he saw in his travels. He was excited and so the work was exciting. As he became more experienced and familiar with his surroundings, he saw that everyone had a story to tell. He became determined to inspire others to tell theirs. He found this made his stories much better. It also allowed him to experiment and learn. Since 2014, he’s also been publishing the Chicken Newspaper for children all over the world.